Oh Snap: Snapchat update betrays user base

You were so perfect. Swipe left, your friends. Swipe right, a plethora of insight. That’s how it always was. That’s how it should’ve always been…

There wasn’t any warning, I didn’t even allow it to happen. One second you were just how I left you. The next, a stranger took your place. Old friend, where did you go?

What have you become, Snapchat. You’ve changed and I don’t know why. You’ve put money above values. You’ve sold yourself to bigger companies. You’re advertising yourself as this “state of the art concept” that nobody even asked for. Since when did ads mean more to you than the people who have always believed in you? I don’t even recognize you anymore.

Change is necessary, but this is borderline rebranding. You’ve become something you’re not. Why did you betray us in this way? The miniature videos and pictures that let us into our friends lives temporarily are now replaced with celebrities that I don’t know, topics that bore me, stories I lack subscription to and ads. Ads galore. You’ve tainted my feed that once acted like a temporary escape.

It’s sickly ironic that the first headline I see is “Could THIS Be Coming to America?” Well, Snapchat, your update came to America. We didn’t do anything to deserve this betrayal. We’ve done nothing but support you and love you.

To the left, familiar faces peer back at me now. You’ve combined their smiling faces with their updates. Kudos to you for the one decent thing you’ve brought us. Amidst this conundrum, you’ve given us our friends to smile through the pain along with us.

Too many companies are selling out for money. We thought we could count on you, Snapchat. We’re heartbroken at who you’ve become. You’re forcing our relationship to become sour.

Will you come back to us, Snapchat? Will you find the goodness in yourself again and aim to impress the generations that adore you? We weep for your return.